Jiuxi

Chapter 103 Chapter 102 [The Emperor’s Heart Is Like the Abyss]

In the 12th year of Jianwu's reign in the Southern Qi Dynasty, it was August [-]th.

Meng Zhixiang, the defender of Huacheng in Beiyanjiang, surrendered the city. At this point, the southeastern part of Moyang Road changed its flag and became connected with the area actually controlled by the Jingzhou Governor's Office on the north bank of the Hengjiang River.

The battle report showed that the eight-hundred-mile fast horse was sent back to Yongjia day and night with continuous changes of men and horses, which aroused the applause of the people in the government and the public.

The scholars in the Imperial College drank and sang poems and songs happily, but they only regretted that the person charging on the battlefield was not them.

In the Wende Hall of the Imperial City, the atmosphere was enthusiastic and festive. Some civil servants quoted scriptures and eloquently praised the emperor's wisdom and martial prowess.

In the Wuxun train, Nanya General Li Jingda had a smile on his face, but he was cursing his mother in his heart.

Xiao Wangzhi and Li Tianrun were simply unworthy of human beings. They let the three armies of Nanya serve as cannon fodder for the siege, and attracted the troops of the three Beiyan Routes to the northern border of Huaizhou. In the end, they even refused to make wedding clothes for the Jingzhou Governor's Mansion. Share some of the credit and give it to each other!

Although he was cursing in his heart, Li Jingda did not dare to show anything on his face, and even lowered his head and shoulders uncharacteristically, for fear that the emperor on the dragon throne would notice his presence - Xu Wen, the commander of the Dingwei Army, had been exposed for his crime of treason with the enemy. , is now imprisoned in the prison of the Sutra Weaving Department, and Qin Zheng is digging to the bottom of the investigation.

Li Jingda was secretly glad that he had nothing to do with this matter, but he was Xu Wen's direct boss after all, and he would definitely be in trouble if he didn't keep a low profile at this time.

After the atmosphere calmed down a little, Ding Hui, the Minister of War, made eye contact with an important minister not far away, and then came out and said: "Your Majesty, the great victory in Jiangbei shows the military power of our dynasty. It is really a happy event celebrated by the whole world. I would like to congratulate you all. ! Congratulations to Your Majesty! Long live my emperor! Long live my emperor!"

On the dragon chair, Emperor Li Duan smiled and nodded.

The emperor who turned the tide and stepped forward to continue the Great Qi Kingdom in times of crisis was 37 years old. He was of medium height, fair complexion, and quite handsome, but there was something obscure deep in his eyes. I am too exhausted from working on state affairs for a long time.

Ding Hui didn't squint his eyes and said again: "On this special day, humble ministers should not detract from the scenery, but they have responsibilities and must mention them. I also pray for your Majesty's forgiveness."

Li Duan said calmly: "Ding Shangshu just said it doesn't matter."

Ding Hui said slowly: "I don't know, I wonder if this border military deployment was notified to the court in advance? From the beginning to the end, the Ministry of War did not receive any notification. May I ask the Privy Council if you know about it?"

The ministers fell completely silent and looked at Privy Councilor Guo Congyi, the leader of Wu Xun's class.

According to the official system of Qi State, the privy envoy, the general who commanded the Sixth Army of Beiya, and the two generals who were in charge of the Twelfth Army of Nanya formed the core of the military.

Generally speaking, major military matters must be resolved by the Privy Council, regardless of the Beijing army or the frontier army, not to mention the large-scale battle in which the governors of Jingzhou and Huaizhou conspired to mobilize a total of more than 15 troops.

Under the gaze of the ministers, Guo Congyi did not express his position directly, but looked at the emperor with his head slightly raised.

This move says it all.

Ding Hui said slightly forcefully: "Your Majesty, the counterattack of the Huaizhou Governor's Mansion passed the court deliberation, and the Governor Xiao Wangzhi's command of the army to the north was blameless. But then the main force of the Huaizhou Army left Panlong Pass in the west, and the Jingzhou Army The main force went north along the Shuangfeng Mountains, but this matter directly bypassed His Majesty and the imperial court. It is not an exaggeration to call it self-assertion."

He paused slightly and said with a solemn expression: "The victory of the border army is worthy of praise, and the recovery of the homeland is even more outstanding. But if the border governor's office follows suit in the future and categorically sends troops to provoke war without your majesty's permission, wouldn't it be regarded as a warlord in the long run? Act?"

Right Prime Minister Xue Nanting frowned and was about to go out to refute, but the emperor on the dragon throne spoke before him.

Li Duan said calmly: "Ding Shangshu, Xiao and Li, the two great governors, have already submitted this strategy to the emperor in a secret report before the march. I have approved it."

He turned to look at the great eunuch standing beside him, who took out two memorials from his sleeves.

Ding Hui choked.

Li Duan said in a gentle tone: "If Ding Shangshu doesn't believe it, you can take a look at these two memorials."

Ding Hui was horrified and quickly bowed his head to plead guilty: "I don't dare!"

The corners of Li Duan's lips curled up slightly, and he finally felt a little happy in his heart.

He knew very well the thoughts of most officials in the DPRK. Even if the Northern Expedition had been called for more than ten years, it would become extremely difficult every time it was implemented, and there would be great resistance at all levels.

Now that Jiangbei's great victory finally gave him enough confidence, under such a glorious situation, no matter how stubborn his ministers were, they could only temporarily cease their activities.

Looking around at the ministers, Ding Hui felt uneasy, while the others remained silent.

Li Duan was not dazzled by this joy and explained briefly: "I did not deliberately hide this matter from the ministers' families. It was just because Xiao Wangzhi explained in the memorial that Xu Wen, the commander of Dingwei Army, collaborated with the enemy and treason. Therefore, I decided to keep it secret for the time being and did not inform the left and right prime ministers and Privy Councilor Guo."

He glanced at the calm-looking Left Prime Minister Li Daoyan and said with regret, "I hope you won't complain about me."

These words are very serious.

The ministers repeatedly apologized, and the left prime minister Li Daoyan even bowed and said: "Your Majesty has thought carefully, and I can't wait for any eventuality. Xu Wen's incident may not be an isolated case. I sincerely request your Majesty to order the Sutra Weaving Department to investigate the court strictly to avoid disaster again." Inside."

Li Duan's eyes narrowed slightly.

The Sutra Weaving Department is an extremely important force in his hands, almost equivalent to his eyes and ears. Therefore, the civil servants above the court are extremely repulsive to this special yamen, and they are even more focused on Qin Zheng's scope of power. Like today It is really a rare thing to take the initiative to lead the Sutra Weaving Department to investigate court officials.Why did the old prime minister give in?
Li Duan looked at Qin Zheng in the corner, and then said calmly: "The Prime Minister Zuo is right, let the Sutra Weaving Department check it out."

Li Daoyan praised: "Your Majesty is a saint."

Li Duan then said to Qin Zheng: "Qin Qing, although the Sutra Weaving Department has the power of supervision, it cannot go beyond the court's laws, let alone affect the government affairs of each government office. We should be cautious and practical."

Qin Zheng bowed and said, "I accept the order."

Some courtiers couldn't help but frown slightly.

No one wants to be stared at by an office like the Sutra Weaving Department, especially Qin Zheng, a man who refuses to take either soft or hard advice. He can be called the emperor's most trusted loyal dog. If most people really fall into his hands, they will have to shed their skin even if they die. .

However, the general trend is unstoppable. How can the leftist prime minister, who can easily influence the emperor's attitude in the past, choose to take a step back?
What is potential?
Huaizhou and Jingzhou Dudufu worked together and won successive victories in less than two months. Now they have regained seven cities in Jiangbei in one fell swoop. This is a real achievement in expanding the territory.

Anyone who stands on the opposite side of the emperor at this time will definitely be drowned in the saliva of the world.

Li Duan couldn't help but sigh in his heart. This was the first time that the Sutra Weaving Department had stood up to the court in a grand manner. Although they usually had the power to "examine first and then report matters below the third rank", in fact this was simply not feasible in the capital.

Because even if he is just a seventh-grade official, there may be an important official in purple standing behind him.

But he did not get carried away. Instead, he asked calmly: "What do you think of the subsequent war in Jiangbei? You can speak freely today."

After a brief silence, the Minister of Hube stood up first.

The old minister was 53 years old at the time and had very senior qualifications. Perhaps his face was bitter because of the great pressure.

He first recounted the rewards he had given to the officers and soldiers of the Huaizhou Army like a treasure trove, then talked about the lack of national treasury and the hardship of the people's livelihood in the past two years, then discussed the waste of food and grass by the border army, and finally talked about the consequences if the Jingzhou Army wanted to expand the scale of the war. coming impact.

There are many, many, and many others.

Thousands of words condensed into one sentence, the current war has reached the limit that the imperial court can bear. If it continues north, it will be difficult for the imperial court to provide sufficient support.

Next came Ding Hui, the Minister of War, who had just been beaten by Li Duan. This time he carefully explained that the weapons were not enough to support a larger-scale war.

Another minister of the Ministry of Works discussed in detail the difficulty of manufacturing large-scale siege equipment in Jiangbei. The minister of the Ministry of Rites mentioned that the Seven Divisions of Shazhou to the west of Chengzhou repeatedly invaded the country. The young minister of Honglu Temple mentioned that the Nanzhao Kingdom in the southwest was ready to move...

All in all, the great victory in Jiangbei is certainly gratifying, but at this difficult time, it is really not appropriate to continue the war, lest it threaten to shake the foundation of the country.

None of the military officials spoke.

Left Prime Minister Li Daoyan stood quietly, as if he was extremely tired due to his old age.

Li Duan felt like a mirror in his heart. The old prime minister's previous concession was obviously a preparation for the current situation.

The structure above the court was complicated. Li Daoyan could not decide everyone's thoughts, and the conflicts between the major factions were also serious. However, most people were able to form a unified idea on opposing the Northern Expedition.

Li Duan had expected this, so he calmly observed the noise below. After the palace gradually calmed down, he said unhurriedly: "What you said makes sense. I also feel that the time for the Northern Expedition is not yet ripe, so I Let Li Tianrun temporarily withdraw his troops, stabilize the territory that has been recovered, and then plan for it slowly in the future."

The clear voice resounded throughout the hall.

Many ministers were slightly startled. By the time they reacted, this short court meeting had already ended.

"Your Majesty... Shengming!"

The voices were sparse and not as neat as before.

Li Daoyan, the left prime minister, raised his head and looked at the emperor's back as he turned into the inner hall. A look of surprise flashed through his old eyes.

After about a stick of incense, Li Duan came to a certain pavilion in the harem, and Qin Zheng, the warp weaver, followed him step by step.

"Your Majesty, please don't get angry. This matter should not be rushed." Qin Zheng earnestly advised.

Li Duan stared at the early autumn scenery outside, smiled lightly and said, "I'm not in a hurry."

Qin Zheng lowered his head and said, "I am overthinking it."

Li Duan shook his head slightly, and then said with excitement: "Tell Li Tianrun and Xiao Wangzhi that I will not treat them badly this time. Those young heroes no longer need to hide and tuck them away. They will report their names. This battle will be a victory for the whole world. You know, this is a rare opportunity, and we need to give those young people a chance to move up."

Qin Zheng cupped his hands and said, "I accept the decree!"

Li Duan's eyes were firm and he whispered: "Otherwise, how could we stir up this pool of stagnant water?"

(End of this chapter)